The Arranged Marriage
by TheDrunkenWerewolf
Summary: Princess Haru Yoshioka and Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen meet again at their engagement party and wedding after several years apart spent mutually pining for each other. Written for the TCR Secret Santa 2019.


Summary – Princess Haru Yoshioka and Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen meet again at their engagement party and wedding after several years apart spent mutually pining for each other. Written for the TCR Secret Santa 2019.

a/n – I own nothing. This is for YarningChick who was my secret santa. Seasons greetings, dear! :) I went with your prompt of arranged marriage with Haru and Baron. Happy Christmas and I hope you enjoy! and please let me know what you think!

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**The Arranged Marriage**

Miss Haru Yoshioka was all set to wed Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen on the 1st of June. Forecast to be a lovely summer day, one which would cement the alliance between the Cat Kingdom and the Mortal Realm through marriage. An alliance that would be beneficial for everyone.

It had all been arranged by their families when the pair were just children. They'd been childhood friends, so they'd have some common ground, their parents agreed.

The only problem was Haru hadn't _seen_ Humbert in at least ten years. They'd been sent to separate schools, gone to different universities… lived different lives.

There simply hadn't been any time for a catch up. But she'd never forgotten about him. She always wondered what he might be doing, what his life was like. Whether he still liked reading in the evenings. If he read with a hot cup of tea before bedtime the way she did now.

She couldn't help but smile a little to herself. Well, now they were getting married she'd have all the time in the world to find out.

She checked her watch and sighed softly. Time to get ready for her engagement party. And meet her husband-to-be.

. . .

Humbert cast his eyes around the venue. The party was fabulous, as was expected. The food was divine. Everyone was elegantly dressed, and that included Humbert himself in his white tuxedo. But none was more elegant or beautiful as his bride-to-be. His fiancée. Haru Yoshioka.

Quite frankly, she took his breath away.

She was wearing a lovely blue ballgown the colour of the ocean, perfectly contrasting the colour of her pale skin. Her hair was styled in a classic bun, her face perfectly made up. And her eyes seemed to sparkle just like he remembered,

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat when he wasn't paying attention, and made his way over to her. heart fluttering in his chest as he approached her. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Good evening, Miss Haru," he greeted her, smiling, hoping he sounded as smooth and confident as he did in his head. "How delightful to see you again."

He watched the smile bloom on her face and recognition fill her eyes as she looked at him.

"Baron!" she smiled warmly, reverting back to her old nickname for him. "It's so good to see you again."

He returned her smile with one of equal warmth. "I've missed you. It's hard to believe we'll be a married couple soon," he said softly. "But I am quite looking forward to it."

She smiled at him again. He didn't say he'd always had her on his mind ever since they'd parted ways. Or that he'd loved her for nearly his whole life. Admitting those things would come later. For now, he'd just enjoy her company, and make up for all the lost time.

. . .

The night passed in a blur, though it was a very enjoyable blur as Haru got to spend it catching up with her Baron. It was so enjoyable in fact, that when the party ended neither of them wanted to go home.

They sat on the balcony together, shoulder to shoulder, watching the stars. And Haru had a strong feeling that this was right. That perhaps she'd been destined to be with Humbert.

She shook the thought away. _Don't be ridiculous, _she told herself. _Fate had nothing to do with it. Your parents arranged the match. Besides, you don't even know if he feels the same way you do._

She sighed softly, pulling Humbert's jacket tighter around her shoulders, as if that would pull Humbert closer, too.

"Are you alright, Haru?" he asked her softly. Still so gentle and kind even after all those years apart. The world hadn't beaten him down just yet. Not the way it'd beaten her down.

"It's all happening so fast," she said quietly. "The engagement. The wedding. I don't think my mind's caught up with it all yet."

He nodded, still smiling softly. "I know. It's all happening rather fast, isn't it? But this will cement the alliance between our people. It will benefit everyone."

"So they keep telling me," Haru answered. "But what about you? How do you feel about it?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, but then another warm smile spread across his feline features. "I knew it was an inevitability that I'd have to marry a princess one day or another," he began, sliding a hand onto hers and squeezing it lightly. "But I'm glad I'll be marrying you."

Haru couldn't help the bright red blush that tinged her cheeks at that, but thankfully the darkness helped conceal it. And Humbert was too much of a gentleman to point it out.

"Do-" she squeaked clearing her throat to steady her voice. "Do you really feel that way?" she asked. Trying not to sound too hopeful and probably failing.

"I do," he told her. "I've thought about you every day, hoping our paths would cross again."

"Me too," Haru smiled. "I've often wondered where you were or what you were doing. If you had anyone special in your life…"

He turned his gaze back up to the stars and answered her. "Honestly…" he began, pausing a moment. "There hasn't been anyone."

Haru stifled a laugh. "What, a good looking guy like you? I find that a bit hard to believe."

"Well, believe it," he said. "Nobody seemed to make a lasting impression on me, except you."

She blushed a little redder, cursing herself for her faux pas.

"What about you?" he asked. "Anyone special in your life?"

"No," she answered. "Just you."

He smiled softly back at her. "Well then, that makes two of us."

She smiled, heart fluttering in her chest. He was still her Baron.

. . .

The preparations for the wedding soon got underway. Venues were picked. Menus organised. Cakes tasted and selected. Suits and dresses fitted and tailored to perfection. Again, no expense was spared. Not for the history making wedding of Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen and Princess Haru Yoshioka.

Everything seemed to take forever to sort. But eventually, everything was ready.

The day of the wedding dawned miserable and grey, unlike the bright sunshiney day the weatherman promised. But nobody seemed to mind because rain on one's wedding day was supposed to make the knot tied on that day just that much tighter – or so they said. An old wives tale, Haru's mother said, though one of the better ones. Haru didn't particularly care if it was blowing a gale or howling a blizzard, as long as she could marry her Baron.

It went without saying that she was nervous. And those nerves only grew the nearer she got to the church. She may have been absolutely sure she wanted this, but there were still butterflies in her stomach, all fluttering about and bashing clumsily against the walls of her insides.

She clutched her bouquet a little tighter as she stepped out of the horse drawn carriage, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Her mother by her side and her best friend Hiromi holding the train of her gown.

"Ready?" her mother asked, linking arms with her daughter.

"As I'll ever be," Haru smiled. And with one last deep breath, she stepped over the threshold of the church to marry the man of her dreams.

. . .

Humbert stood at the altar, waiting for his beautiful bride to walk down the aisle to meet him. His best friends and groomsmen standing beside him, all three of them watching her walk.

"Tell ya Baron, she's a real beaut," Muta elbowed him teasingly. But Baron didn't respond, he was too captivated by the sight of Haru looking elegant in her white wedding gown, glowing from within. She approached and he smiled at her.

"You look radiant, Miss Haru," he said softly, voice full of rapt appreciation as he spoke. Of course, she'd always looked lovely. But today she as exceptionally so.

She smiled demurely and took his offered hand. "You don't look too bad yourself," she answered, instantly causing a bright smile to bloom on his face.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she breathed, squeezing his hand tightly. As if this were all a beautiful dream and she were afraid it would all disappear in a puff of smoke at any moment. "I'm ready."

He nodded, squeezed her hand back, and guided her up the three little steps to the altar so they could begin the rest of their lives together.


End file.
